That Insatiable Need
by The Wandering Muse
Summary: AU set during 4x02 - Memorial. Elena Gilbert is a coffee addict. This one shot is a response to a one word challenge from the group FanFiction .net Writers Unite on Facebook. The word is 'COFFEE'. Part of Head Over Heels Collection. Check my profile for new updates!


What's the quote? An apple a day keeps the dentist away. Well, a cup of coffee chases sleep away. Humans are not machines. They need energy and nutrients to function. Coffee does the trick, whether it's from the ground coffee beans crushed and boiled, permitting the flavor into the air or with its bittersweet taste of awareness. Does it matter what a steaming mug of coffee can do in the room full of half-asleep humans? It turns them into a frenzied mess; its unique sense of smell can send hundreds to the counter demanding for more. Just one, then a dozen, followed by a hundred people milling around the counter, causing chaos in the grill house.

The young brunette was a coffee addict. She was used to having a cup for breakfast everyday without fail. Nevertheless, someone else has caught onto her habit and oh my, the next thing she knew, there was a steaming cup of coffee waiting for her when she reached the kitchen. There was a note attached, elegant handwriting written by the only person Elena could think of. "Think of me when you taste this," it said. Curious, she scrutinized the coffee. It smelt the same, plain old coffee with the right amount of sugar and milk. One sip told her differently though, someone has added a little bit extra to spice up her beverage – blood. Elena smiled to herself and left for school with Jeremy tailing behind.

It began as a daily cycle for Elena with that special cup of coffee. She never questioned how it appeared in her kitchen, or why her brother never mistook it for his. She did questioned that one time when she went to the grill house to study and decided to order an ordinary cup of coffee. The waiter came by and deposited her drink minutes later. There was nothing suspicious about it until Elena took the first sip. Tangent blood flowed from the cup to her lips and down her throat. She shook her head and continued to study. No use trying to fight the cycle and Elena misses her secret lover. This little display of love already showed that the other cares for Elena even though they were miles apart. The caffeine worked its way into her system easily and that little bit of blood? Well, she was used to the taste and has been secretly craving for more. It was strange for a human to crave blood; she was no vampire but a vampire has been adding that extra something for quite a while back. Who was she to resist the heavenly smell and taste of coffee? She just hoped that one day she wouldn't be a ripper like Stefan when she did turn.

That was then and this is now. Elena blames herself for not confronting the vampire back then. Everything is heightened, from her senses to her emotions. She had a problem - a big one. Her craving for blood was too much for Elena to control. In each human being, blood is truly the river of life. The heart pumps blood through the arteries and veins to provide oxygen and nutrients into every cell of the body. Blood primarily brings a human being to life; it also does the same for vampires. Vampires need blood to function. However, Elena wonders if her heightened bloodlust is due from that one "special" cup of coffee. _Kat, where are you when I need you the most?_

Guess who comes to the rescue? The Salvatore brothers have decided to "teach" Elena on how to feed and control the blood lust. Not that she has a choice of say in the matter, watching the brothers argue about the best method for her. Ripper Stefan tells her that animal blood is the key to a healthy diet. But bad boy Damon tells her to feed from the vein. Elena finds herself having to suppress rolling her eyes when Stefan looks at her, with that charming smile she used to fall in love with. She goes along with the animal diet since she can't do anything about it but she did send a text message to her lover. Come back to me, it said. No one was to know about her super secret relationship, not even the Salvatore brothers.

She took a huge chunk of bite off a doe. Stefan smiles and encourages her to drink more. Elena feels like throwing up. Animal blood was disgusting and bitter like black coffee. She wonders how Stefan and Caroline could survive on this diet. The taste was weak and it certainly doesn't cure the deep insatiable need. Oh yeah, she is definitely going to… The thought slams away abruptly as her stomach lunges violently. She speeds away from the doe as fast as she can and into a clearing where she dumps the contents of her stomach out. Scratch bunny diet out of her list immediately.

Next on her list, as Damon suggested, is to feed from the vein. Unfortunately, Elena knows everyone in Mystic Falls thereby making it a lot harder to accomplish. Blood bags it is then. She speeds to the boarding house and into their stash of blood bags. She easily drains two bags down quickly but they don't vanquish the hunger in her. She threw the empty bags into the trash and snacked on another. It became pretty clear that there is something wrong with her. Why does she feel so unsatisfied?

She heads into the grill house and spots the elder brother wasting away at the bar and moves to take the spot next to him. "That seat's taken," was his only reply. Elena stares at him dumbfounded. "There's no one here."

"Well, I'm going to pretend that there's someone there because the alternative is too damn depressing."

She rolls her eyes and moves to the other seat, trying not to breathe through her nose. There were way too many people in here. _Don't they have better things to do than be here?_

She tries again. "Did you set off the explosion that killed the council?"

"Am I wearing the I-blew-up-the-council-tee shirt? Why does everybody keep asking me that?"

"Did you?" _Damn it, Damon! Just answer the question!_ He retorts sarcastically and continues to drink whatever it was that is not blood. "No. Anything else?" She sighs loudly, debating whether to tell him about the animal diet fiasco. He would laugh at her and tell her to pick someone to drink from. The brothers were very predictable and Elena was very close to losing it.

Oh boy today is not her day and she can't shut her super enhanced hearing of at least a dozen hearts thumping in the background nor can she stop smelling that sweet blood flowing out of that busboy's palm as he picks the shards of glass from the floor.

Next thing Elena knew, she finds herself right in front of the busboy holding his injured bloodied hand. She lets go of his hand immediately once she inhales the sweet scent and watches him scuttles away. She looks down at her hand, smudged with his blood and licks her fingers clean. A ding from her phone pulls Elena out of her thoughts to go after the cute busboy. "Bathroom… Play nice and don't eat any busboys, my sweet darling." Finally, Elena thinks.

"Katherine."

"Elena."

They locked eyes with each other and immediately engaged in a staring contest. Within a few minutes, Katherine averts her eyes away after taking in Elena's pale features. "Have you eaten? Don't answer that." Elena replies anyway exasperatedly. "I have already tried animal blood and blood bags. There's something wrong with me, Kat. I'm still hungry."

Katherine sighs. "Of course you are. You need warm blood from the veins, babe."

"I'm not killing anyone," Elena argues back.

"Who said anything about killing?" With that, Katherine bites into her palm, drawing a small pool of blood whilst watching Elena's eyes darken with bloodlust. She offers it to the younger vampire. "Drink, maybe this will do the trick." She watched Elena moves cautiously towards the offered palm and licks the blood pool all the while eyeing the older vampire before sinking her fangs in. As Elena starts to drink more and more, Katherine backs slowly against a wall and lovingly cradles Elena's head with her other hand. She smiles when Elena murmurs into her palm, pleased that the doppelganger has finally connected the dots.

"You just had to mix my coffee with your blood."

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading my story and don't forget to review on your way out!**


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